Top three specialty grains

Just something of a curiosity. everyone has their favorite specialty grains that they just seem to add to EVERYTHING. And I am just curious as to what those are.

List your top 3 specialty grains. (I also have an ulterior motive as I am putting together a specialty grain buy and looking to see what other people may be looking for that I miss). These are going to be bought in 50-55lb bags so they need to be able to be shared. so I am hoping to stay away from anything TOO random (acid malt, for example, though at the same time 5-10lbs would be nice to have on hand....dang it...can't think about all the grains I want to buy...is this a rambling monologue?...dang it).

Mine personal choices are:

Aromatic Malt
Rye Malt
Crystal 120

Cant wait to hear the opinions.
Kyle

crystal 120, special b, patent malt

Isn't Rye Malt considered a base malt since it has to be mashed?

My three would be Victory, Munich (has to be mashed as well), and Pale Chocolate

That's difficult to answer. Do you count Munich and Vienna as a specialty malts (technically they're base malts)

how is 'top' judged? By the number of recipes that call for these ingredients, or by the volume of each used? (e.g. I have a ton of recipes that use 2 or 3 oz of black patent, and fewer recipes that use carapils. But when I do use carapils, I usually use 8-16oz at a time. So, over a year I'll probably use more carapils by weight even if it's only going in a small percentage of my recpies)

So - I dunno. I use a ton of Munich and Vienna malts, I use black patent in a large number of recipes, and a lot of British c-75. I use a fair bit (by weight) of caravienne and carapils, though they go in a relatively small number of my overall recipes when compared to munich, Vienna and BP.

Wheat, Munich, Caramunich

The first two aren't really specialty grains, are they? Either way, I'd buy them in bulk.

Sorry I guess I wasn't specific enough. I would consider this to be any grain (even if a base grain) that you seem to use in every recipe, even if it is just a few oz. (I for instance, only add 2-3oz of crystal 120 in almost all my beers minus belgian pales, Saisons, or Tripels). Munich and Vienna you could add, though you tend to add quite a bit of it. I think I could be cheating with rye malt; as JonK331 said, it can be mashed and therefore a base malt. I used Rye Malt because I tend to switch between rye malt and flaked rye, and interchange the two depending on the mash and grain price.

For example, I have used aromatic malt in EVERY recipe (between 0.5-1.5lbs/recipe) I have brewed regardless of style since I first discovered the that wonderful malt. It's NOM NOM NOM

So I guess it's technically a base malt and not a specialty grain, but I'd go with Munich. Most other grains I don't really use enough of to warrant buying a sack, but if I did, I'd probaby go with chocolate malt and roasted barley, and then go on a long run of big stouts... mmmm....

erock2112 said:

. Most other grains I don't really use enough of to warrant buying a sack,

Click to expand...

That is exactly why I am hoping to split it with some people from my homebrew group. I would LOVE a 50lb bag of Aromatic Malt, but I can't justify it. So I am hoping to dig out 20lb and have the rest traded/purchsed by others. Same goes for the Crystal 120 (I can see myself using 50lb of rye malt in a year, I will be honest). As I am a belgian, APA, IPA kinda person, I feel aromatic and C120 really cover a majority of my needs unless I am attempting to clone. (The yeast in this case isnt a big factor since I bank most yeasts that I use)

I do agree with a majority of people here though, that a half bag of munich and victory/vienna would do a wonder for my brewing (I am partial to victory hence, the addtion over vienna). Especially in my IPAs. I am thinking a 2row, Victory and Aromatic IPA (or 2row, aromatic, C120), or an all beglian grain bill IPA (pils, aromatic, and special B) with cali yeast and hops.

This kind of discussion is what gets my blood boiling about brewing...

In that case, I'd go with what I mentioned. And I'll second my recommendation for more munich. I've added it in almost all of my last few brews. One was obvious - an Altbier, but I'm finding it adds a lot to any beer - a smoked porter, IPA, RIS - to up the maltiness and add a little complexity. I've never used aromatic malt - what's it do?

Pretty much what the name suggests. It is a malt that provides a good malt nose and mouth feel. It was described to me as "getting the malt without the gravity points"

Here is a brief description I found on a thread on tastybrew, seems pretty accurate.

"Used at rates of up to 10%, Aromatic malt will lend a distinct, almost exaggerated malt aroma and flavor to the finished Ales and Lagers. Aromatic malt also has a rich color and is high in diastatic power for aid in starch conversion. D/C Aromatic malt. As the name suggests, adds aromatics to a beer. At 25 Lovi, it is grouped in the upper end of the "Munich Malts" category. It shows conversion by itself, with a diastatic power of 29, as compared to D/C munich with a DP of 50 and Pils with a DP of 105. When using Aromatic malts, be sure to calculate the additional extract and color that will be added, since this malt contributes both."

For me it allows that good malty taste and I can still mash low (150-151)